That’s right. Both EA and Maxis said it wasn’t possible, but the next update is bringing offline play to SimCity.

This was revealed by Maxis’ general manager Patrick Buechner, who made an official post on the official SimCity website. Unfortunately we weren’t given any real indication of when this might be, Patrick just promised that it would be “soon”.

He said,

“When we launch [the update], all of your previously downloaded content will be available to you anytime, anywhere, without the need for an internet connection.”

“In Update 10, you can still play solo in Regions on your own, or in Multiplayer with people from around the world. What’s new is the Single Player Mode, which allows you to play the game Offline by yourself.

“And because your saved games in this mode are stored locally, you can save and load to your heart’s content.”

This would also tie in pretty nicely to the newly promised mod support for SimCity, and Patrick addressed this as well.

“Bringing the game Offline means big things for our wonderful community of modders. They can now make modifications to the game and its components without compromising the integrity of the Online game. Modding is a big part of our studio’s legacy and we’re excited to see what you guys create.”

While this is a much needed and long awaited addition to the game, it is going to be quite a blow to both EA and Maxis when it comes to their image in the eyes of gamers. Gamers are, quite rightly, going to feel like they have been lied to since it has been stated more than once that offline play was “not possible“.

While this will sweeten the pot for a lot of players, I fear this may have come too late. A lot of peopel would have left the game during it’s disastrous launch, or in the months between then and now. Will this be enough to bring them back? Only time will tell, but I have my doubts.

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